Red Light
by HydeLuver
Summary: As he celebrates "the end of an era," Hyde comes face to face with his past.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I intended to take a long hiatus after finishing my last story, but I got the idea for this story and seriously have not stopped thinking about it so I decided to just write it. It'll be pretty short, just 3-4 chapters. I do promise to publish this fairly fast, just so I can go back to my little hiatus (which I have enjoyed because I can read a lot more stories that before!) Anyways, go ahead and read & ENJOY!**

Hyde is sitting by a circular table, just a few feet from the stage. As he sits drinking a beer, he glances around the club. Everywhere he turns he sees sketchy old men trying to cop a feel of the half naked girls parading around hoping to earn more money that the night before. He sees his friends not too far off. Kelso and Fez are gaping at a blonde wearing sequin underwear and knee-high boots. Eric is over by the bar trying to get the bartender's attention.

Hyde sighs and looks down at his watch. It's a few minutes after midnight and all he wants to do is go home and get some rest. He scoffs at the realization that just two years ago, he would be ecstatic to be here, hanging out with his friends and getting drunk. Now, at only twenty-five, he feels worn out and out of place. _Must be from all the partying these past few years _he thinks to himself. He takes another sip of his drink, hoping to make the time go faster.

By 12:30, Eric, Kelso and Fez have made their way back to the table, all three almost drunk. Hyde sits in annoyance as his friends continue to gape at the girl on stage as she flips and twirls around the pole.

"Oh my goodness, check out her boobs" squeaks Fez, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Kelso nods along enthusiastically.

"Man, she is so _hot" _joins Eric as he fans himself with his hand.

Hyde rolls his eyes and sees that his friends are nowhere near ready to leave. He motions the bartender over and orders another round of beers. If he is going to have to sit here and endure this crap, he better have some damn alcohol in him.

Within a few minutes the bartender returns with four bottles of beer and hands them over to the guys. As Hyde is about to start working on his new, frothy drink, Eric stops him.

"Hold on a minute man, this is a special occasion that requires a toast" he begins and shoots a smirk towards Hyde.

Hyde sighs and rolls his eyes once again. "This isn't the place for that Forman" he says flatly, hoping to convince his friend against a speech.

"Dude, this is the perfect place. Besides, it isn't everyday that we can celebrate the end of an era" Eric responds.

"End of an era? Really Forman?" says Hyde. Somehow he is now more annoyed than before.

"It's true my angry American friend," Fez chimes in, "this is the last time you get a bachelor party/"

"Unless he gets divorced, and then gets married again" says Kelso, oblivious to the negativity of his comment.

Hyde furrows his brows and flips Kelso off. "Just get on with it so we can get out of here already" says Hyde in frustration.

"Relax Curly. This one, my friends, is for our man Hyde who, despite his best efforts, is actually the first one among us to bite the dust. To the end of an era" says Eric as he raises his beer bottle.

"To the end of an era" chime in Kelso and Fez in unison.

Hyde raises his bottle to meet his friend's and takes a sip of his beer. As he does so, he can't help but think about his upcoming wedding. In just five days, he will be someone's husband. How fucking crazy is that? Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would get married, especially after the sham marriage he had with Samantha.

Also, he couldn't believe he is the first in the group to get married. He always figured that privilege would go to Eric and Donna. Hell, even Kelso could have beaten him to this commitment. Yet, here he is, tying the knot, and he can't help but laugh at the weird twist his life has taken in just two years.

"Hyde, you're lucky man. First you married a hot stripper and now you're marrying a hot teacher. I mean, Jenna is _hot,_ right Fez?"says Kelso.

Fez nods his head in agreement, "she is smoking indeed" he replies and chugs back the remainder of his beer.

Hyde's body tenses at his friend's comments about his fiance, and it surprises him how affected he gets. It's been a really long time since he's felt this protective over a girl, though he prefers to forget about that part of his life. Things with Jenna are much different than his previous relationships. There is no drama, no games and no complications between them. Their relationship is organic. That's what made it so easy for him to propose to her. Frankly, this is the happiest he has been in years.

"Alright, alright" starts the announcer taking his place on stage. The girl who just finished dancing is walking around collecting the last few bills on the stage as the old men continue to cheer her on. "Lets give another round of applause to the lovely Chasity" the announcer continues. The cheers grow louder as she bows before walking off the stage. Fez and Kelso proudly join in and even begin barking excitedly.

"Now, this is the moment you have all been waiting for. I want you all to give it up to the amazing...SERENITY" the announcer says before walking off the stage.

The lights around the club start to dim and a bright red spotlight shines center stage. A slow instrumental comes from the speakers and the clicking of heels can be heard. Slowly, a sensuous woman appears, moving to the beat of the music. The men begin to cheer loudly as she begins sliding her body down the pole.

The four boys watch intently at the girl on stage.

"Holy shit" Eric says, his eyes wider than they have ever been.

"That's..." starts Fez before trailing off.

The continue watching in silence as the girl gyrates and twirls around the pole. She slowly drops her silky robe revealing black, sparkly lingerie. Body shimmer shines under the bright lights and for the time being, she is the only person in motion.

Hyde's pulse beats along with the music, his breathing becomes shallow and his eyes never leave the stage.

"Hyde, are you okay?" asks Eric, who has noticed his friend's expressionless face.

It takes Hyde a few seconds to shake his head from side to side. He glances over at Fez and Kelso who are staring with their mouths hanging wide opened as the girl starts to unclasp her bra. The other men around the club are howling and throwing bills on stage, fighting to get their attention.

The performance goes on for another seven minutes, perhaps more, Hyde isn't really sure. The skeezy old men erupt in cheers and applause as she bows and collects the money on the stage. Gracefully, she turns and vanishes behind the black curtains. The slow instrumental stops and is eventually replaced by an upbeat tempo.

"I think I'm too drunk, I could have sworn-" starts Kelso before he is interrupted by Eric.

"Kelso, shut up" he says.

Hyde looks down at his watch and sees it is just past one o'clock. Usually by this time he is already in bed. Instead, here he is, officially having the worst night he has had in years.

For a few minutes, all four of them sit in silence, finishing the small amount of alcohol left at their table. Suddenly, they see the girl on the other side of the club laughing and acting coquettishly with one of the old skeezers. They stare as she tilts her head in laughter and flips her honey blond hair back.

"Hyde, let's go man" says Eric, urging his friend to call it a night. Hyde puts his hand up in an effort to shut him up, takes the last swig of his beer and stands up.

"I'll be right back" he announces and starts walking to the other side of the club.

"That's not a good idea Hyde" he can hear Eric calling out, but decides to ignore him and march on. As he gets closer to where the girl is, he can overhear the girl's conversation with the older man.

"So fifty right? Let me make sure I have it" the man says and starts digging through his pocket for what Hyde can assume is money for a private dance. He watches as the girl stands idly by, watching the man rummaging through his belongings. She stands with her back to Hyde, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her heels obviously hurting her feet.

"How about I give you one-hundred" Hyde interrupts, which causes the older man to look up at him and the girl to turn around. Hyde witnesses her smile falter as she makes eye contact with him. Her face stiffens and he hears her breath hitch.

"Hyde" she says, her voice almost a whisper.

"Hello Jackie."


	2. Chapter 2

The fast paced song coming from the speakers suddenly appears to be slower to Hyde. As he stands mere inches from his ex-girlfriend, all the anger from the past five years resurfaces and for a moment he has to fight the urge to tell her off. As they stand, glaring at each other, all the words unsaid and unresolved feelings seem to be looming over them and there suddenly is not enough room for the tension that is building between them. As he scowls at her, Hyde notices how cold and detached her stare is, so unlike that of the young girl he used to know.

Behind her, he catches a glimpse of shuffling and breaks eye contact with to see the older man who has resumed rummaging through his pockets. Hyde raises a brow in slight amusement and once the man looks up, Hyde shoots him a menacing, almost daring, look. The man, clearly determined not to be outdone, fishes two fifty dollar bills from his jacket pocket and slaps them on the table.

Jackie turns to the man and shoots him a satisfied smirk, which is unfortunately short lived as Hyde throws yet another fifty onto the table. "150" Hyde says firmly which causes Jackie to turn to him yet again and narrow her eyes.

Choosing to ignore her piercing glare, Hyde focuses on the man who is now emptying the content of his jean pockets in a last effort to outbid Hyde. A few seconds later, the man has placed a wrinkled twenty dollar bill on the table, his expression no longer amused but rather challenging. To him, this is no longer about Jackie, it's now a game of pride. There is no chance in hell a young kid is going to show him up.

Hyde furrows his forehead in annoyance and quickly finds two twenties. He directs his focus towards Jackie and sees her shooting the older man urgent looks. She obviously does not want Hyde to win this little battle, for she knows that nothing good can come out of them spending time alone together...not after the way things ended between them.

The older man finds a ten dollar bill in his wallet and slaps it on the table in sheer exasperation. Hyde smirks triumphantly, thinking that this is probably it. He pulls a fifty dollar bill and hands it to Jackie who snatches it from him and places it on the table, on top of the small pile of bills.

The older man looks grudgingly at Hyde and finally puts his hands up in defeat. Hyde nods towards him and watches as Jackie snatches the 270 dollars from the table and storms away towards the back of the club, through some red satin curtains. Without hesitation, Hyde walks after her.

Past the curtains is a more private section. The walls are a dark red, the paint chipping in several places. A small stage is located in the center of the room and is surrounded by cheap yet cushy, bench-like sofas. The floor looks old and worn-out and steel poles decorate the perimeter of the room. On the walls are full-length mirrors and posters of famous pin up girls. Hyde quickly spots four other dancers entertaining clients. All four are dancing seductively to the instrumental sound of Guns N Roses'_ Welcome to the Jungle._

Jackie is sitting on the opposite side of the room and watches intently as Hyde checks the place out. The mere sight of him makes her blood boil and she hasn't figured out how to deal with the situation. Out of all the joints in Wisconsin, what are the odds that her ex-boyfriend would walk into hers? The universe has a sick sense of humor and frankly, she was in no laughing mood. Her body stiffens as he walks towards her.

Within seconds, he is standing right in front of her and proceeds to take a seat next to her. She instinctively stands up and creates some distance between them.

"Go on" Hyde finally says as he leans back on the sofa and rests his right foot on top of his left knee.

Surprised at his request, she takes the time to analyze him. It's been just over three years since she's last seen him and she can't help but take him in. He still has the same frazzled, curly hair and the sunglasses that cover his blue eyes. She can tell he has gained a little weight, but his arms and shoulders are still as toned as she remembers. His mannerisms show her that he is still the king of zen. Unfortunately for the king, he is also a good teacher and two can play this game. She slowly starts moving her hips from side to side and she makes it a point to keep eye contact to seriously screw with him. If he thought this would be easy, then he is sadly mistaken.

She dances for a few seconds, straining her eyes to try and look past his sunglasses. She can see the faint outline of his eyes and sees that she has his full attention. The irony of the situation finally dawns on her. Once upon a time, the thought of Hyde around strippers was enough to send her running for the hills and now...well, here they were. She scoffs in disgust at the weird twist of fate and catches him raise an eyebrow as a response.

_'Time to step it up' _she thinks to herself.

Suddenly, with one swift motion, she positions herself so she is straddling him. She starts gyrating her hips and grinds them against his crotch. She can hear a low grunt involuntarily escape his lips and she relishes the reaction he is having. She digs her feet firm on the floor and thrusts her hips harder and faster onto him. As she continues doing this, she feels a bulge through his jeans and she knows she has him exactly where she wants him. The only thing standing in the way of her complete victory are those stupid sunglasses of his. It amuses her that even after all these years, he still shields his eyes with them.

Determined to finally beat Hyde at his own game, she slowly reaches up to his face and slides them off. She is suddenly met with a pair of familiar blue eyes. The intensity in them almost proves too much for her to bear, but she reminds herself to not look away. Hell, even if she wanted to, she couldn't break away from them. Everything there was to know about Steven Hyde, his passions, his fears, his pain, could all be found in his eyes. They truly betray him and break down all the barriers he's worked years to build.

"Jackie" Hyde starts, "you stopped."

She frowns and realizes that she has indeed stopped dancing. She got so caught up looking into his eyes and letting her mind wonder back to happier times between them that she forgot what she is supposed to be doing. _'Focus' _she thinks. She starts moving her hips once again and begins running her hands down his body. She lets herself touch his face, down to his shoulders and his chest. She revels in the sensation of exploring his body again and for a split second, they are back in his tiny basement room, on his cot, alone. Her heartbeat speeds up as she feels his hips slightly moving to match hers and now it's her turn to respond. She lets out a soft moan and can feel herself losing control of this little game, but hell if she makes him stop. Part of her wants this, needs this, if only for some closure.

"You know," he whispers, "I doubt my fiancé would approve of this."

Jackie's eyes widen and she stops moving immediately. _F__iancé_? He just said fiancé.

She looks into his eyes, searching for a hint of humor that tell her he is only kidding, but she doesn't find it. She slowly gets off his lap and shakes her head slowly. How could she have been so stupid to put herself in this position, again? No matter how much time passes or how much distance she creates between them, she always manages to become a silly girl around him. She loses any inhibition and rationale and hands him all her cards. Why did she think this time would be any different?

She quickly turns from him and rushes out of the room and heads towards the back entrance of the club.

Just like that, Steven Hyde has won.


	3. Chapter 3

In the private section, Hyde remains seated as the other dancers and their clients shoot curious glances in his direction. They are probably all wondering what he said or did that made the young stripper storm out of the room. Sitting there, being scrutinized, he realizes that announcing his engagement at that moment might not have been the smartest thing to do. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned it at all. After three years of not seeing each other, it might not have been what Jackie wanted to hear. Although, what was he supposed to do? Not mention it and get caught up in some temporary moment with his ex-girlfriend? That wouldn't be fair to Jenna.

Quickly making up his mind, he stands up and walks in the direction Jackie left, determined to catch up to her. He spots a black metal door near the bar and sees Eric and Kelso looking at him and they both point at it. He walks to the door and opens it. Just a few feet from the door, he spots Jackie, leaning against a wall, a lit cigarette between her lips. He frowns at the image before him and, as he closes the door behind him, he catches her tilt her head slightly. Her eyes do not leave his as he takes a few steps towards her.

Bracing herself, she takes a long drag of her cigarette and looks away from him. She shivers slightly. Her thin robe is nowhere near enough to protect her from a September night in Wisconsin.

"Bit under-dressed aren't you?" Hyde asks sarcastically. Jackie turns back and glares at him. He has put his sunglasses back on, much to her disappointment. He already has the upper hand, she didn't need him to have his walls up to make the situation more difficult.

"What do you want Hyde?" she asks bitterly before taking another pull of the cigarette.

He looks at the tip of the cigarette as it lights up with her pull. He has never seen her smoke a cigarette. Other things, sure, but never a cigarette. She used to say it makes her lungs ugly, and she is too pretty for anything in her body to be ugly. "What are you doing Jackie?" he responds almost immediately. He sticks his hands in his jean pockets and leans against a wall opposite her.

"Living the life, isn't it obvious?" she replies. "Why do you care anyway?"

He winces at her tone. His biggest pet peeve during their relationship had been her inability to believe that he really cared about her. That was the main reason he couldn't commit to her in the ways she wanted him to. If she couldn't trust him to be concerned about her and care about the things that happened to her, what kind of relationship could they possibly have? She always doubted his feelings for her and it made it difficult for him to trust her feelings for him.

"I care Jackie, I just...I don't...what happened?" he stammers. She scoffs and rolls his eyes at him. Like hell he cares.

"Is this about what happened between us?" he asks. His anger about the situation has completely subsided. All he wants is to figure out where things went wrong for her. Maybe he can help make things right.

"This isn't about you. Not everything is about you, get a grip. My world doesn't revolve around you Hyde."

"Then what the fuck is going on Jackie? What's all this about? You just woke up one day and decided to take your clothes off for every skeeze in Kenosha?"

Jackie throws the remainder of her cigarette on the ground and angrily closes the distance that is separating seconds, her face is mere centimeters from his.

"You have some fucking nerve, you know that? You come here and pretend you still know who I am, pretend to know everything I've gone through these past few years. You have no fucking idea what's going on in my life or what led me here. I'll be damned if I let you stand here and judge me. What I do is no longer your concern. You gave up the right to care about me years ago" she yells at him.

What a self-righteous bastard. After all the crap he's put her through, he has the nerve to be upset with her and judge her.

"Gave up?" he says, pushing himself off the wall and looking down into her eyes. The anger is back and now he is sure this is going to become another one of their epic arguments. She stands unfazed, not intimidated in the slightest by his size or the scowl she is sure is hidden behind his glasses. She simply nods in response, her eyebrows raised.

"I didn't _give _anything up. _You _walked out on _me, _remember? Or do you need a reminder of what happened that night?"

She rolls her eyes and takes a step back. Of course he brings this up again. She should have expected him to throw it in her face. "Whatever Hyde," she starts, "just stop. Just go home to your _fiance_ and lets both forget about everything, alright? It's better that way."

"Oh, for fuck's sake can you grow up? Grow up Jackie. Stop acting like such an annoying brat. You bring something up and as soon as things don't go your way, you run away from it. That was always the problem Jackie. It was your way or no way."

"Yeah, _that _was the problem with us" she spits bitterly. Things never seem to change between them, did they? It is always like a 12-round boxing match. They would try to outdo each other, see who could hurt the other person most. To her credit, she had won their last match, and still held the title.

"You know what? I'm not doing this with you anymore" Hyde says. He widens the gap between them and pulls out a cigarette of his own from his jacket. He gets his lighter from his jeans and lights the stick. As he exhales the smoke, he continues, "we always end up playing this stupid game and I'm tired of it. If you won't talk, then fine, I'll just leave and we can forget all this, just like you want." His gaze is intense and she feels her blood boiling.

"Fine, then go. Just fucking go" she responds. She walks until she is in front of him once again. At that moment, a surge of emotions runs through her body and before she knows it, she is shoving hims urging him to leave her alone. "I'm sick and tired of it too, so leave."

Hyde stumbles slightly as she continues to push him. He can see her eyes begin to water and knows things are going too far. After throwing his cigarette on the ground, he grabs a hold of her wrists. "Stop" he whispers. As if on cue, tears stream down her face and she begins to sob. Instinctively, he pulls her to him and lets her cry on his chest.

They stay like this for a few minutes, until he hears the sobs subside and feels her relaxing in his hands. She starts shaking her head from side to side and suddenly, he hears

rom his embrace and wipes a few tears from her eyes.

"You're not Jackie. This just...It went too far" Hyde replies apologetically. "I know it's not my place to judge you and say the things I did but, this all caught me off guard."

She laughs again, a little louder this time. "Trust me, it still catches me off guard."

"Jackie, what happened to you?" he asks.

Jackie looks up at him and frowns. So much has happened in the three years since she's seen him that she wouldn't even know where to begin. She still struggles to make sense of when exactly her life took this unexpected turn. "Things just got tough after...well, after I left. I tried doing things on my own. Got a few jobs and found myself barely scraping by every month. It became harder and harder to support myself. After a few months I met this girl who's a dancer and she was doing alright for herself" Jackie starts.

She recalls her rundown apartment in West Kenosha and the hundred dollar bi-weekly paychecks at the restaurant that barely covered food expenses. So many times she thought of going back to Point Place, but the thought of appearing weak, seemingly groveling for help, brought her back to reality. She can blame her pride for being in the position she is now.

"After a few months, I eventually ended up here. It was supposed to be temporary but the money was good and once you get used to...um, the job description, it gets easier" she finishes.

Hyde runs a hand through his curly mane. "Why didn't you just come home?" he asks her firmly.

Jackie smiles. _Mister mind reader_ she thinks. "That wasn't an option. After the things I said, and just walking out, I couldn't go back."

"We could have figured things out."

"Don't dwell on the past Hyde" Jackie says, her smile faltering. It could have been so simple, go back home with her tail between her legs and worked things through for the umpteenth time. Yet, at that time, it was the last thing she could do.

"Jackie, this isn't the way things were supposed to turn out" he says, taking a step closer to her. He can see bumps on her skin from the cold and quickly takes his jacket off and hands it to her. He watches as she slips her arms through the sleeves and pulls on the collar for warmth.

She laughs in response. "You're telling me, I'm a stripper."

She watches as he fails to find the humor in her comment. An awkward silence engulfs them and she can't help but smile. She never would have guessed, when she walked out of her apartment a few hours prior, that this night would be so eventful. "Sooo, you're getting married" she says, hoping to alleviate the tension a bit.

He nods and looks into her eyes. "After a while, I figured you weren't coming back so I went on a date and...here we are."

"Here we are" she repeats. "I'm happy for you."

He gives her an appreciative smile. "Jackie, I want to help you" he says, hoping to stop the small talk and refocus the conversation to what is important at the moment. Jackie shakes her head from side to side.

"Why not?" he asks desperately.

"I bought the ticket, I have to take the ride" she responds with a hint of humor. He rolls his eyes but still smiles at her. Of course Jackie would joke around when he is being serious.

"I have no idea what that even means" Hyde says.

"I just need to figure things out on my own right now. I need to be able to take care of myself and fix my problems. I've always had someone make things better for me, my parents, the Pinciottis...you. Right now, I need to stand on my own. I put myself in this position, I'll find my way out."

"You don't need to do anything on your own Jackie, I'm offering to help you" he responds, hoping she will accept his offer.

"I know, and I appreciate it, but I'll be fine Steven" Jackie says. She sees that he is about to reply, probably to keep convincing her to accept his offer, and decides to put an end to the conversation. She walks towards him, stands on her tip-toes and places a soft kiss on his cheek. "I love that you still care, but I need you to trust me" she whispers.

Once she brings her feet flat on the ground, and stands in front of him, Hyde does the unexpected. He takes his glasses off and hands them to her. With the glasses in her hands, she looks up at him in confusion. "What's this-" she starts before being interrupted by his lips crashing into hers.

She feels his tongue on her bottom lip and his hand reach up to fist her hair. His other hand is around her waist and he quickly pulls her in so their hips are pressed together. The familiar feel and taste of his lips send her on a whirlwind and she immediately grants him access to her mouth. She brings her hands to his chest and gently pushes him against a wall just a few inches away. As she pins him, she brings her hands around his neck and pulls his head to deepen the kiss.

He groans into her mouth and moves his hands down to her backside. He cups her butt and in a swift motion, lifts her up so her legs are wrapped around his waist. He lifts his head to meet hers, never breaking the kiss. He feels her squirming around, trying to bring their bodies closer and he can't help but smile against her lips. He turns around so that now, she is pinned against the wall and he hears her moans as his right hand roams her body.

He breaks the kiss and moves his lips down to her neck and she throws her head back, allowing him to gain more access to it. He takes the opportunity to become familiar with her scent. She no longer smells like strawberries like he remembers. Her perfume is now a light, floral one and he wants to file it to memory.

She moans his name and this sets him over the edge. With his free hand, he pulls open the jacket she has and allows his lips to start moving down below her neck to her collar bone and then to the spot right above her right breast. She arches her back and moans his name again. He pushes open her thin robe to reveal her black bra and, seeing her smooth skin, is compelled to mark her. He wants to leave a mark right above her breasts so everyone knows that she is his.

_Except, she isn't _his conscious reminds him, but Hyde quickly pushes the thought to the back of his mind. He sucks gently, right above her bra and has to hold her firmly as she starts to squirm violently. He starts applying more pressure to the area and start sucking harder.

"Steven, don't" she says, her voice barely audible. He ignores her request, seeing as she doesn't protest a second time, and resumes his branding. After about a minute, he brings his head up and smiles as he admires his work. A visible purple mark rests right above her breast. Jackie looks at the spot and shakes her head. "That's not very nice" she says.

He smirks in response and raises his eyebrow, "I wasn't going for nice." She laughs and for the first time in a long time, it is an honest one. She looks him in the eye and sees that they are clouded with need. His expression is the same one he used to have whenever he was turned on. It's the same expression that makes her want to give him everything, makes her want to do anything in her power to satisfy him.

"I want you" he whispers.

"Really? I couldn't tell" she replies, causing him to smirk once again. She straightens her legs and forces him to set her back down on the ground. He frowns as she begins to straighten her clothes and hair. "I should get back now" she says, not looking into his eyes. She knows that if she so much as catches a glimpse of them, she will be sucked back into them intimacy, and as much as she wants him, she knows it isn't right.

"Jackie" is all he says. Just the way he says it shows her how much he wants her. The deep, raspy tone of his voice doesn't make it easier to walk away from him. She brings her hands to his face and presses her forehead on his.

"I want this Steven, I want this really bad. But...you're getting married, and I'm not going to be that girl" she says. He closes his eyes and sighs. He reluctantly nods his head and she pulls away from him. She takes off his jacket and hands it to him along with his glasses. She shoots him a small smile and starts walking towards the door to head back inside the club.

"Thank you" she says before leaving him outside alone.

As he watches the door closing behind her, Hyde lets out a frustrated groan. He opens up his glasses and slides them back on his face. It takes him a while to process everything that just happened. Not only did he come close to screwing his ex-girlfriend, he pretty much just cheated on his fiance. _Shit _he thinks. The worse part about it is that Jackie was the one who put a stop to it, who knows how far things would have gone had she decided to keep going. He can't deny that he wants Jackie. Being with her feels right.

What about Jenna? She doesn't deserve what he just did. For two years, she has stood by him and has been faithful and loyal. He has never questioned his love for her. Hell, he still doesn't question it. He loves Jenna and he will do anything to protect her. He can't hurt her, not days before their wedding. Hyde rubs his forehead and debates whether he should tell Jenna what happened tonight between him and Jackie.

_Don't be an idiot _his conscious says. _Go home and don't mention this. EVER! _

Hyde sighs. His conscious is right. If he wants to keep Jenna, he can't tell her about this. He glances down at his watch. It's a few minutes after 3:00pm. Hyde inhales and exhales deeply before walking towards the door.

Once inside, he catches a glimpse of Jackie over by the bar chatting it up with the bartender. For a brief moment, they make eye contact and she smiles at him before turning her attention back to the young man serving drinks. Hyde has to restrain himself from walking up to her and resuming their intimate moment. He forces himself to turn away from her and walk back towards the table he left his friends in. As he reaches the table, he sees that Fez has passed out, Kelso is dancing just a few feet away and singing off key to Pat Benatar's _Heartbreaker._ Eric is sitting, slowly sipping a beer. When he sees Hyde, he cautiously asks "ready to go?"

Hyde nods silently, thankful for the lack of questions. Eric slaps a few bills on the table to settle the tab and then heads off to get Kelso's attention. Taking this last minute of solitude, Hyde glances one last look towards Jackie and catches her laughing at something the bartender whispered in her ear. For a brief second, a surge of jealousy rushes through Hyde's body, but then he remembers what she told him outside. "_I need you to trust me" _she said. As much as he wants to just grab her and get her out of there, he knows that he has no choice but to do as she says and trust her. Hyde turns back and lifts Fez up from the chair. He holds the little guy by the waist and throws Fez's arms around his neck for stability. The drunk foreigner mutters something not quiet comprehensible.

"Sure Fez" replies Hyde in amusement.

He follows Eric and a dancing Kelso out of the club. On the other side of the club, Jackie turns in time to watch her friends and her ex-boyfriend walk out. She smiles as she looks after them, happy that she was able to get some closure from her past. It is just what she needs to help her figure out her future.

**Author's Note: I have to say I had so much fun writing this chapter. I was able to get inside Hyde and Jackie's head for a bit and have another hot JH moment. Hopefully a few questions were answered in this chapter. I know some of you might still be wondering what happened three years ago between Jackie and Hyde. The next chapter will be a weird flashback epilogue that will show what happened. Hope you all tune in for the last chapter and that you enjoyed this one!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Three years ago.**

It is just past eight on a Saturday morning when Jackie walks into the basement. She closes the door quickly behind her so as to not let in the frigid November chill. She tugs at her coat and walks over to the worn-out couch and pulls out a few books from her bag. She chooses a book of poems and begins flipping through it, stopping after a few pages to skim. After a hectic night, she hopes she can get lost in the pages of the books and distract her mind. She needs to put a stop, if only temporarily, to the thoughts that have been driving her insane during the last few hours. After a few moments, she kicks off her boots and lays back on the couch.

As she chooses a poem to read, she tries to focus but finds herself thinking about her life and how much of a routine it has become. Every day she finds herself doing the same things, hanging around the same people. Frankly, she is beginning to feel claustrophobic in Point Place. Although, truth be told, it isn't the town that suffocates her, but rather the memories attached to it. Every significant place hold some painful memory; the water tower, Fatso Burger, the Forman's. They all reminded her of every failed relationship in her life, from her parents to Fez and everything in between. The memories make the town stuffy, and she just needs something new.

She wonders whether or not she will ever have a true adventure in her life, one that will take her out of her comfort zone and provide her a life she is happier with. Perhaps one that will take her somewhere more eventful. The last time she came close to having an adventure, she ended up running after her ex-boyfriend to clear up a misunderstanding. She ended sacrificing everything, only to end up with nothing.

Jackie shudders at the memories of Chicago and everything that came after. The months that followed had been the worse for her. She had completely lose sight of who she was and let people make decisions for her. She became someone she didn't recognize, and that's what hurt most of all.

Now, just two years later, she has to admit that she is in a much better place. She is rekindling her romance with Hyde and the two have managed to have a more stable relationship. Of course they still disagreed from time to time, but that's just who they are.

Hyde walks out of his room and walks into the basement. As he takes the few steps to his usual seat, he notices his girlfriend sleeping on the couch, a book laying opened across her stomach. He watches as her chest rises and falls along with her even breathing. Hyde looks down at his watch and sees that it's only eleven o'clock. He frowns slightly and walks towards the couch. Standing over Jackie, he leans down a bit and shakes her gently. She shuffles and groans but does not wake up. Hyde lifts the book off her and places it on the table. He takes a seat at the edge of the couch.

"Jackie" he whispers in her ear. He leans back and smiles as he watches her eyes fluttering open.

"Hey" she replies softly, "what time is it?"

"Just after eleven, what time did you get here?" he asks her.

Jackie shrugs and sits up, rubbing her eyes as she does in an effort to adjust to the light. She finally looks at Hyde and notices his messy curls and lack of a t-shirt. She smiles and leans in to kiss him. "You look hot" she says while suppressing a yawn.

"Thanks" he responds sheepishly. "Jacks, not that I mind you being here, but what made you come so early? Aren't you supposed to be at Donna's?"

Jackie rolls her eyes and stands up to stretch. She makes a mental note to never sleep on that couch again. You would think that with all the time they spend in the basement, sitting on that couch, they could perhaps chip in and get a more comfortable one. Hell, it's not like they could get use out of it. Between their naps and make out sessions and who knows what else, a new couch would be an investment.

"I was but then Eric came over at six and it got too chaotic so I came here" she says.

"Chaotic?" Hyde asks curiously.

"Oh yeah, Eric proposed...again. Can you believe it? We're going to have to suffer through this one more time."

"He proposed? What an idiot, we all told him to wait" Hyde says. He shakes his head from side to side. Leave it to Forman to get anxious enough to propose so early in the morning.

"You knew he was going to do it?" asks Jackie.

Hyde simply nods his head. He stands up from the couch and walks back to his room. A few seconds later he returns, no longer half naked. He rummages through a box just outside his room and finds his sunglasses. He puts them on, then starts walking towards his chair. Jackie watches as he sits down and lifts his leg to the Ottoman.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asks seriously.

"No offense babe, but you can't keep a secret. Forman made me swear not to tell you."

Jackie sighs and plops back down on the couch. She grabs the book of poems from the table and flips to a random page. She starts skimming the stanzas but can feel Hyde looking at her. She tries to ignore his gaze and flips the page. A few minutes of silence pass in which she has sighed three times, flipped about ten pages and shifted her posture countless times.

"Is something wrong?" Hyde gives in.

Jackie shoots him a questioning, but unconvincing, look. "No, why do you think something's wrong?" she asks.

"No reason." Hyde smiles as he sees her disappointment that he doesn't insist on finding out what is bothering her.

"Do you...Will they get married this time?" Jackie asks while looking down at the closed book. She can hear his exhale and from the corner of her eye catches him run his hands through his hair. She knows she's treading on thin ice and that it would probably be best not to mention anything marriage related, but she doesn't care. She can't keep being afraid to talk to him about things that bother her just because he might run for the hills again. If he can't handle a simple conversation about it, then they're no different than they were before.

"Jackie, I don't know. Who cares, it's not like they won't end up together eventually. They're Eric and Donna."

"Yeah, I guess they just have a different kind of relationship."

Jackie finds the courage to look up at Hyde and she immediately regrets it. She can see the glare through his sunglasses and his arms are crossed. She knows he is in the defense and that she should just drop it. The only problem is, she can't. Something inside of her is yelling at her to press on, to see how far they have actually come. After everything they endured and put each other through, something has had to change, right?

"I'm happy for them though, it must be nice to know they would eventually get there, you know? Although, I guess it was obvious. After being in a relationship that long it makes sense to get married." She continues to talk and watches him grind his teeth together and his eyes narrow even more than before.

"I know what you're doing," he starts through gritted teeth, "and I'm not going there." Hyde stands up from his chair and starts walking towards his room.

"Why can't you go there with me Steven?" Jackie yells and follows him to his room. Once there she sees him sitting on his bed rubbing his forehead. "Steven" she continues, "why can't we talk about this?"

"Damn it Jackie, are we back there again? Do you remember what happened last time we had this conversation? You ran off to Chicago and screwed Kelso."

"I did _not _have sex with Michael" she replies defensively.

"Almost, whatever. Jackie, I'm not talking about this."

"Yeah, well I am so I guess you're just going to have to listen" she responds and crosses her arms. He groans and lays down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I don't understand why it's so difficult for you to see yourself with me in the future. What is it about me that prevents you from wanting to build a life with me? After all we've been through, haven't I proven myself worthy? I come back every time and maybe it's stupid of me, but it shows how much I love you. Why can't you see that I'm not going anywhere? We have already gone through some awful, painful times, it can only get better from here. Why is it that you can't see that?"

"Jackie, enough okay? We _just _got back together and we're still trying to adjust to each other after everything. I'm not about to jump into something more serious than either of us can handle. I thought you were alright with us starting over from scratch." Hyde sits back up on the bed and presses his back against the wall. He sees her standing over by the door, her hands still crossed and her forehead furrowed.

"We're always starting from scratch Steven. Something always happens that pushes us back to the starting line and it's frustrating."

"I don't know what you want me to say Jackie, I really don't know what the right answer is here" Hyde answers. He removes his glasses and rubs his eyes. _It's too early for this shit _he thinks before looking up at her.

"I just want you to tell me if you can see yourself married to me? That's all I've ever wanted to know Steven." She walks over to his bed and takes a seat at the edge of it. Her eyes are pleading him for an answer.

"Honestly? I...I don't think we're good for each other Jackie" Hyde replies. He looks at her, sincerity in his eyes and it takes her by surprise. How can he think that? Everyone always says that they are happier when they are together and that the compliment each other so well. How can he possibly think otherwise?

"What do you mean?" she asks reluctantly, afraid of what else he can say.

"I really don't want to get into this. Let's just go back to bed and talk about it some other time okay?" says Hyde while laying back down.

"Not okay. You can't just say something like that and then not talk about it. Steven, why don't you think we're good for each other?"

"I didn't mean that we can't make this work Jackie. I just meant that on paper, we're not good together and sometimes it feels that way. Whenever we argue or something happens between us, I start to think that maybe being together isn't such a good idea." Hyde pulls the blanket over himself and closes his eyes. He knows that if he looks at her he will see the hurt and disappointment, and he is so tired of hurting her. No matter how much effort he puts into their relationship, he always ends up doing or saying the wrong thing. Now, specially, he wishes he could take the words back and just lay down comfortably with her. "Just forget I said anything and come to bed" he says.

"Every couple argues Steven, even Eric and Donna."

"Whatever Jackie just come to bed."

"Damn it Steven just talk to me!" Jackie demands. She takes several steps towards the bed and yanks the blankets off him and flings it across the room.

Hyde abruptly sits back up and gets on his feet. He grabs his sunglasses and puts them on. However, Jackie reached up to his face, snatched the glasses and flings them also. "What the hell Jackie, you're acting insane" he says.

"I'm not acting insane Steven. I am just so sick and tired of waiting around for you to give me what I want. I have given up so much to be with you and you don't even have the decency to do one thing for me."

"Are you serious? Jackie, I've gone to annoying discos and even a roller skating ring. I took you to a fancy restaurant and spent all day with you at the mall. Those are all things I did for _you, _because you wanted to do them. How do I not do things for you?"

Hyde can not believe they are having this conversation. He truly believed that during the few months since they got back together they had established a stronger relationship than the one they had before. He thought they had left all those issues in the past, but here they were, rearing their ugly heads and he isn't sure the relationship is worth fighting for anymore.

"You know what I mean" Jackie replies rolling her eyes.

"No, I don't and I really don't want to talk about this anymore." Hyde walks past her and out the door into the basement. He starts going up the stairs that lead to the living room and he can hear Jackie's footsteps behind him. Why the hell did he wake up early today? He should still be sleeping and not having this argument with his girlfriend.

"Steven...STEVEN" he hears Jackie calling after him but chooses to ignore it and keep walking straight towards the kitchen. Once there, he sees Eric sitting on one of the stools eating some breakfast. Hyde nods at him and Eric does the same while taking a bite of his pancake. Within seconds Jackie pushes past the swinging doors fuming.

"Do not ignore me!" she yells at Hyde causing Eric to look up in amusement.

"And here I thought my weekend would be boring" Eric exclaims, a small smile on his face.

"Shut up Forman" Hyde says. He grabs a glass from the cabinet and pours some juice in it. He puts the carton of juice back in the refrigerator, closes it and walks towards the round table near the sliding door.

"Why can't you just give me some sort of reassurance that we're actually going somewhere. We've been through so much together, it's only logical that we will eventually get married" Jackie urges on as she proceeds to take a seat on a chair opposite Hyde.

"Wait, didn't you guys _just _get back together?" asks Eric as he turns to look at the couple on the other side of the room. Hyde points towards Eric and nods. "Exactly" he says, thankful that his friend has backed up his own thoughts.

"Stay out of this Eric" growls Jackie. Eric shrugs his shoulders and turns back to face his plate.

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks it's too early to talk about marriage."

"Oh how would he know anything about timing? He waited years to propose to Donna and then didn't even show up to his rehearsal dinner" Jackie replies.

"Hey!" says Eric but before he can continue, he is silenced by Jackie's death glare. "Shutting up" he says and turns once again to face away from them.

"That's not the point Jackie. Talking about marriage just isn't logical for us."

"Isn't logical for us _now _or not logical period?" she asks, a slight sense of hope building within her.

"What's the difference?" Hyde asks before taking a sip of his juice.

"Well, if it's not logical _now, _then it means that we will eventually be able to talk about it which means that you see it happening. If it's not logical period, then..." her voice trails off and she can't bring herself to think of that possibility.

Hyde sighs and puts his glass down. How more frustrating can one person be? Of course he loves Jackie, but he wishes that she will drop the conversation and they can just go back to having the simple relationship they have been having. They're still so young, what the hell is the rush to get married? Hasn't she seen the way both their parent's marriages turned out? Why would she be so excited to get married after having those examples?

"Jackie, I don't know. I'm just taking this one day at a time, that's how I do things and you know that. I'm not going to propose to you just because you want me to."

"Oh, so you won't marry _me, _but there was absolutely no problem marrying a stripper?" she yells at him and as soon as the words leave her mouth, she catches herself and her breath hitches. She stares nervously at him and sees his body tense up. From the corner of her eye she sees Eric slowly turn to look at them, his fork hanging mid-air. She's gone too far and she knows it. Before getting together they had both agreed to leave those things in the past. They've done a good job avoiding any discussions about Sam, Chicago and Kelso...until now anyway.

Hyde glares at her and quickly rises from his seat and walks through the sliding door, into the backyard. Jackie turns to look at Eric for a moment and sees him shaking his head. She rolls her eyes and heads outside to catch up to Hyde.

Once outside, she sees him picking up the basketball from the garage and dribbling it a few times before taking a shot. He misses.

"Steven" she starts as she walks a few steps off the porch. He ignores her and takes another shot. He misses again and she hears him growl and now he's dribbling the ball harder than before.

"Steven I didn't mean to bring that up, it just slipped out" she says apologetically. She waits as he takes a third shot. He misses once more and she sighs.

"Steven please" she continues and as she takes a few more steps closer he turns abruptly.

"Stop. I'm just so tired of this Jackie" he says. He puts the ball down and kicks it to the garage where it hits the back bumper of Red's Toyota.

"Tired of what Steven?" Jackie asks, her voice barely audible.

"Tired of the same argument. No matter what happens, it always comes back to this. Neither of us can let go of what happened. We agreed not to talk about the past anymore, but you can't let it go can you?" Hyde asks as he leans back on the pole that supports the basket.

"No Steven, I can't. I try to forget it but I can't. It still hurts me that you were able to marry someone that you didn't even know but you can't promise me that one day we will get married."

"I was drunk when I married Sam, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"I know you were drunk, but then you kept her around and dangled her in front of my face. You mocked me every single day by kissing her and touching her the way you used to touch me. You have no idea how much that hurts."

Hyde looks down to the ground and shuffles his feet.

"Maybe it's about time you learn what it feels like, then maybe you will understand my position" Jackie states matter-of-factly. This forces Hyde to look back up at her. A questioning look dawns on his face.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

He watches as Jackie begins to pace back and forth. She twirls a strand of hair around her finger. "Jackie, what is that supposed to mean?" he repeats.

She paces a few more time and then stops. She takes a few steps closer to him, but makes sure that she isn't too close. She's been keeping this secret for so long now and every day it suffocates her more and more. Perhaps it's the secret that's been making her feel so claustrophobic. Maybe once she just tells him, she will stop feeling so stuffed all the time.

"Something happened, in Chicago...Before you got there-" Jackie starts.

Hyde pushes off the pole and narrows his eyes. "What happened?" he asks interrupting,

"It was a stupid thing to do and I wish it hadn't-" she says but is again interrupted.

"Jackie! What. Happened?" Hyde asks.

"In Chicago, before you got there, I..._did _sleep with Michael" she answers quickly, hoping that maybe he didn't catch the last part. From the horrified expression on his face, however, she knows better.

"You had sex with Kelso?" he asks after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Yes and t was stupid, I know, but at that time I just wanted to do something, anything, that will hurt you as much as you hurt me when you didn't come. I'm sorry" she says.

"You were right Jackie" Hyde says. His expression is one she hasn't seen in a long time. It isn't his mad face, or even his sad face. Right now, Steven Hyde is as aloof as she has ever seen him, and that scares Jackie more than anything else he could have thrown her way. When Steven Hyde is aloof, Steven Hyde doesn't care.

"A-about what Steven?" she asks sadly.

"Now I know what it feels like" he responds and begins to walk past her.

"Steven, please. Look, now we both hurt each other, we're even. Let's just move on, please" Jackie says.

Hyde stops mid-stride and turns back to look at her. "We're not even Jackie. You won, you finally won."

As he opens the sliding door he hears her call out "fine, walk away again. I'm done Steven!"

Hyde rapidly shuts the doors behind her to drown out her voice. How could he have been so stupid? Of course something had to have happened between Jackie and Kelso in that room. Why did he believe her when she told him otherwise?

"Everything alright man?" asks Eric. Hyde looks up at his friend who is washing his plate by the sink. Damn Eric, his life is simple. He has a girlfriend who loves him and puts up with all his crap and his parents are normal, by Hyde's standards anyway. Hyde rolls his eyes, "shut up Forman" he says and walks past him.

"Shutting up" says Eric as he watches his best friend walking past him.

In the basement, Hyde plops down on the couch and stares down at his watch. He grunts when he sees it's only 12:27. As he sits there thinking of everything that has just happened, he wonders how long it will take Jackie to come back and apologize to him.

_I'll give her an hour _he thinks as he gets up from the couch and heads back to his room.

**The End.**

_Author's Note: I apologize for not updating sooner, but I had an idea of what I wanted this chapter to turn into and I ended up not being able to figure out how to make it that (weird I know). Ultimately, this isn't exactly how I wanted to finish the story, but hopefully you all still enjoy it. I know some of you were hoping for a happy JH ending but it would seem a bit rushed/abrupt to it so I opted out of it. Also, there might be a possible one-shot sequel, though I'm still thinking about it. Finally, I want to thank everyone who read & reviewed this story, you all made it much more fun to write this. Until next time! (*back to my hiatus/reading other people's stories yay! lol)_


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